Tue. & Thur., 11:00
am-12:20 pm, 1352 Gilman

Spring 2005, IowaStateUniversity

Christopher L. Ball, Lecturer

clb5@iastate.edu

Dept. of Political Science

Office Hours: M. & W., 11:15-12:15

517 Ross Hall

Phone: 515.294.4652

Precis

This course surveys major variations in domestic politics
across the world, and it reviews leading explanations for these differences. We
will examine questions such as: why are some polities democratic and others
authoritarian? Are their fixed conditions for democratization? Why are
government agencies more powerful or capable in some countries than others? Are
multi-ethnic societies more or less prone to civil wars? How are civil wars
resolved?Why do some states have
greater taxation levels than others? Why do some states have extensive
government intervention in the economy while others have less? We will study
the role that government institutions, economic interests, political
ideologies, and social identities play in shaping politics across countries.
This course is organized thematically rather than by country or region. As the
title implies, the goal is to compare polities in order to understand why
politics varies.

Requirements

All students must do the assigned reading. I reserve the
right to distribute unannounced in-class quizzes on the assigned readings for
the week. In addition to course readings, students should follow current events
in international affairs. The New York
Times, The Washington Post, the
BBC World Service and the National Public Radio (NPR) news broadcasts (on WOI
640 AM) are excellent daily news sources. I will also post items on the course
website.

The main course website is at this URL:<http://www.public.iastate.edu/~pol_s.241/>. The WebCT site is
used only for participating in the discussion forum, releasing test grades, and
posting non-public copyrighted material under fair use provisions. For regular
information and relevant links you should monitor the main course website, not
the WebCT version.

ISU advises: “If you have a documented disability that
requires assistance, you will need to go to the Disability Resource (DR) Office
for coordination of your academic accommodations. The DR is located in the StudentServicesBuilding,
Room 1076. Their phone number is 515-294-6624, TDD 515-294-6335 or email Bea at
<Awoniyib@iastate.edu>.”

Class Participation: All
students should be prepared to participate in class discussions and in the
on-line discussion via WebCT. Class participation on the WebCT discussion forum
is worth 10 percent of the course grade. Each student has a D as his or her
default grade. If students participate well, their grades will be increased.
Students who fail to participate or who do so poorly will get a D.

Students are not expected to perform Periclean orations, but
everyone should be prepared to discuss the assigned readings, current events,
and question that I pose on the board. Criticisms of points made in readings,
by fellow students, and by yours truly are welcome, and debates may emerge
among students. Students should respect their classmates’ contributions, and
refrain from partisan or parochial philippics. The purpose of these discussions
is not to win imaginary debating points, but to learn beyond solitary reading
and unexamined listening.

In-Class Quizzes: There
will be seven, in-class short answer quizzes on discussions and readings. Each
is worth 5% of the grade. These will be held during the last 30 minutes of
class on the following Thursdays: 20 Jan., 3 Feb., 17 Feb., 3 Mar., 24 Mar., 7
Apr., & 21 Apr.

Take-Home Essays: There
are three essays for this course, including the final exam.

Students will be randomly assigned due dates for two essays
during the term. The first is worth 5-10% of the grade and the second is worth
15-20% of the grade (the first essay will be weighted lower and the second
higher for students who do poorly on the first essay). All essays will be based
on the readings and questions that I present the week before the essay is due.
Each essay should be 3-4 pages long (800-1000 words).

Your final exam is a take-home essay of 4-5 pages long (1100-1200)
words based on a question that I present. It is worth 25% of the course grade.

Penalties:
Students must submit take-home assignments on time and sit
at the designated in-class tests. Students may not ‘make-up’ tests or papers at
will. There are two exceptions. First, for personal emergencies (e.g., a death
in the family, medical problems), students should obtain a note from the dean
of students. Second, for students with extra-curricular activities that
conflict with in-class tests, arrangements for an alternate date and time must
be made at least a week in advance. The student must provide verification of
the activity in order to be eligible for an alternate test appointment. I do
not accept notification after the fact (e.g., “I didn’t turn in my paper last
week because I had a match”).

A computer mishap will not excuse a late paper. You should
make frequent and multiple back-ups of your work (to at least 2 separate floppy
disks or other removable media), so that you never lose more than one hour’s
worth of work. If you own your own computer, be sure you familiarize yourself
with the ISU’s computer labs in case your system breaks down.

Grade Components

Your final grade will be calculated as follows:

·Participation: 10%

·In-Class Quizzes: 35% (5% each)

·Term Essays: 30% (combined)

·Final Essay: 25%

Each component will be assigned a letter grade, converted to
a grade point, and multiplied by its percentage weighting. I do not accept
make-up assignments, re-writing of papers, or extra-credit work.

Academic Honesty

IowaStateUniversity regulations regarding
academic honesty will be enforced. See Iowa State University Catalog, “Academic Dishonesty,” p.38-39. The
penalty for plagiarism or cheating on exams is failure for the course.

Readings

There is one
text-book available for purchase for this course at University Bookstore
(294.5684) in the Memorial Union and the Campus Bookstore (292.1616), 2300
Lincoln Way.):